Daily Archives: December 3, 2008
The Braves acquired Javier Vazquez, and are preparing a five-year offer for A.J. Burnett > more.
Citi Field looks amazing, according to my video > more.
According to Baseball Prospectus, the Mets and White Sox may be discussing a deal including Jermaine Dye, Bobby Jenks and Fernando Martinez > more.
By the way, MiLB.com ranked Martinez No. 32 among the Top 50 Prospects in baseball > more.
Trevor Hoffman has had talks to meet the Mets > more.
The Mets are likely to host the 2013 All Star Game > more.
The Mets signed Nelson Figueora, Adam Bostick, Andy Green and Rene Rivera to minor-league deals > more.
The Mets announced today that they have 
signed Nelson Figueroa, Adam Bostick, infielder Andy Green, and catcher Rene Rivera to minor league deals.
Figueroa was 3-3 with a 4.57 ERA for the Mets last year.
Bostick had his season limited to 11 games after undergoing left knee surgery on May 27. He was 2-2 with a 6.04 ERA in Triple-A last season.
Green, 31, spent all of last season in the minor leagues with the Mets and Reds. He hit .331 with 10 doubles, two triples, eight HR and 28 RBI in 52 games with the Triple-A Zephyrs.
Rivera had been batting .227 with a .252 OBP in 53 major-league at bats with the Mariners.
Tagged Nelson Figueroa |Yesterday, the Braves acquired RHP Javier Vazquez from the White Sox.
Today, the Daily News and Atlanta Journal-Constitution report Atlanta is preparing an offer for free-agent RHP A.J. Burnett, worth roughly $80 million over five years.
Burnett is a career 87–76 with a 3.81 ERA.
The Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Braves, Phillies and Orioles have all been linked in rumor to Burnett.
In a report for ESPN.com, Buster Olney said it might take a fifth year, guaranteed, to sign Burnett.
In his latest rumor-mill round up, citing ‘whispers, at Baseball Prospectus, John Perrotto suggests the Mets and White Sox 
could be discussing a deal that could send OF Jermaine Dye and RHP Bobby Jenks to the Mets for OF Fernando Martinez and others.
…a deal between the Mets and Sox involving dye and jenks may have been true once before…however, from what i can gather, the Mets are more focused on Huston Street, since they match up better with the Rockies…plus, i believe he will cost less…
…as for dye, i have no idea if he’s a realistic option, but, as i have said before, he’d be a pretty good fit…however, trading martinez to get him would cancel out one of the reasons, i.e., a short-term solution, which makes dye appealing…
Last week, at FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal wrote that the Mets have been looking for a right-handed bat.
“On Tuesday, Nov. 11, several White Sox officials watched Mets pitching prospects Bobby Parnell and Eddie Kunz pitch in the Arizona Fall League,’ reported the Chicago Tribune.
According to Gonzales, citing two NL scouts, the Sox were scouting players for deals that include Dye, who hit .292 with 34 HR, 96 RBI and a .344 OBP in 154 games last season.
Dye will earn $11.5 million in 2009, after which he has a mutual option in 2010 for $12 million, or a $1 million buyout that could make him a free agent.
On Nov. 18, I wrote, “From what I can gather, the Mets are likely to make a trade for a relief pitcher, who has experience as a closer,” in addition to signing either Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes or Kerry Wood.”
At The Biz of Baseball, Maury Brown catches up with former Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson to discuss pitcher biomechanics and how ballclubs can better educate themselves when investing in a player.
…good, i missed stories about the zany world of rick peterson, but i’ve actually read about some of this work he is doing and believe it’s quite valid…
Steve Popper at The Record thinks that chasing Manny Ramirez is a bad idea, and likens him to Moises Alou but “with a better bat.”
The Phillies received their postseason shares yesterday, and at MLB.com you can see what the Mets earned for second place as well.
The ‘Ropolitans and Brooklyn Met Fan are perplexed by the green seats of Citi Field.
…green, blue, orange, all i know is i’m priced out of a sunday plan next year because of the two extra games…
Lastly, John Delcos can now be found here.
…stop moving john, i can’t keep up…
Tagged Regis Courtemanche |
According to Lyle Spencer at MLB.com, Angels GM Tony Reagins denied reports that his team is more focused on signing CC Sabthia over Mark Teixeira, despite reports suggesting otherwise.
The Giants continue to negotiate with free-agent SS Edgar Renteria, reports the Associated Press.
Free-agent OF Casey Blake is seeking a three-year, $20 million deal, reports FoxSports.com.
The Tigers are interested in Rangers C Gerald Laird, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Jonathan Mayo at MiLB.com ranks Mets 
OF Fernando Martinez No. 32 on his list of the Top 50 Prospects in MLB.
The link also features video of Martinez in action during his time with the Mets in spring training.
According to the report, ‘the sky is still the limit for Martinez,’ who ‘still has the tools to be an All-Star caliber outfielder,’ adding:
“Reviews are mixed, but most still like his bat speed from the left side. He’s got a good arm and played good defense in center this past season.”
Last season, MiLB.com ranked Martinez No. 17.
Free-agent RHP Trevor Hoffman has had talks with the Mets about meeting at the Winter Meeting or in New York, ‘or 
perhaps both,’ according to the New York Post, who cites the player’s agent.
…unless he is open to being a set-up man, ‘with experience as a closer,’ i hope Omar Minaya’s interest is limited to simply asking for an autograph…
The 41-year-old Hoffman had 3.77 ERA with 30 saves last season for the Padres.
…signing hoffman to a short-term deal to be the team’s closer makes zero sense to me…i bet the Mets agree…let’s say he’s awesome in 2009…great, then what…one year from now the Mets will be in the same boat, searching for a closer, all while Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, Kerry Wood, etc., are locked in with other teams…
…i suppose the Mets could acquire Huston Street from the Rockies and then sign hoffman to a short-term deal, let him walk next off-season and give the job to street for 2010…but, even still, they would be better off signing rodriguez to a three-year deal, like people believe he will eventually accept…
…rodriguez clearly has the temperament and energy level to close out big guys in New York City…i cannot say the same for 
Brian Fuentes, street, J.J Putz, or hoffman, who has actually developed a reputation over the last few years of doing the absolute opposite…
…to me, the single-biggest factor in being a closer in this town is the ability to bounce back from failure – to blow a save and face the fans and reporters, talk radio and the backpages, yet get back on the hill, beneath the white-hot spotlight, and be focused only on success…
…maybe putz can do this, maybe fuentes can as well, maybe street, who knows, but i have seen K-Rod pitch with tons of energy and be successful in a World Series, in Los Angeles, in All-Star Games, in New York against the Yankees, etc., and so i just have a better feeling with him…
According to multiple reports, the Mets will likely meet with the agents for both Fuentes and Rodriguez while in Las Vegas next week for the Winter Meetings.
According to Ken Davidoff, at his blog for Newsday, “It’s all but official that the Mets will host the 2013 
All-Star Game.”
…this is almost inconceivable to me, in that, as a Mets fan, i just have no idea what it will be like to see Citi Field, home of the Mets, paid so much attention…i look forward to it…
Also on his blog, Davidoff writes about his day at Citi Field and his thoughts on CC Sabathia, while he also breaks down the Javier Vazquez-to-Atlanta deal.
Yesterday, during a tour with reporters at Citi Field, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said Omar Minaya and other GMs have been working the phones, laying groundwork for the Winter Meetings, and he expects the Hot Stove to pick up momentum sooner than later.
“Omar knows where he wants to go,” Wilpon said, “and we’re going to let him do that.”
Wilpon pointed out that, with the current state of the economy, “it’s not unexpected that we’re slow to get going.”
…the way i heard it, from a person in baseball who deals in budgets, teams have cash, but they are fearful of what the economy may do to attendance in years to come…so, while pitchers like CC Sabathia and Derek Lowe will get their money, it’s hard to gamble on a player like Bobby Abreu or Pat Burrell with a three-year contract, when fans may be unable to afford ticket prices down the road…and so, teams are really crunching numbers when trying to determine a course of action…
